Shaheen: Hire more staff for veterans' appeals

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen wants to speed up the appeals process for veterans with disability claims.

Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, introduced legislation Wednesday requiring at least three staffers to review appeals at each of 56 regional Veterans Affairs offices. The regional offices in New Hampshire and Vermont each have only one.

Shaheen says the change would reduce a backlog of appeals that grew 76 percent from 2009 to 2012.

Shaheen also is co-sponsoring a bill with Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins that would make disabled veterans eligible for free, lifetime passes to national parks.

The bills come as several Senate Republicans, as well as Republican Senate hopeful Scott Brown, are calling on Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki to resign over allegations of corruption and avoidable deaths at a Phoenix veterans' hospital.